Nurses say they are currently short 136 full time staff in Wollongong Hospital, which is leaving them overworked and putting their patients in "dangerous" and uncomfortable situations.

Speaking at a rally held in MacCabe Park during Thursday's 24-hour nurses strike, NSW Nurses and Midwives Association delegate Genevieve Stone said spot checks conducted at the hospital showed that not a single ward met its requirements under the current nurse staffing system in the past month.

Statewide, nurses are calling on the government to change the staffing system and put in place nurse to patient ratios, which would guarantee one nurse to every four patients in most ward, with more nurses in ED and intensive care.